Cessna T210N accident near Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 15, 2018
On April 15, 2018 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna T210N, registered N6988N, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Colorado Springs, Colorado (City Of Colorado Springs Muni. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2018 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Colorado Springs, Colorado · City Of Colorado Springs Muni. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N, built 1979 · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6988N · no longer on the register · serial T21063197
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that, as the flight neared the destination airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot switched from the left fuel tank to the right tank and turned the auxiliary boost pump on, which restored engine power momentarily. Shortly thereafter, the engine again experienced a total loss of power and the pilot performed a forced landing. Postaccident examination revealed no useable fuel in the left tank, an estimated 20 to 25 gallons in the right tank, and no evidence of fuel contamination. Examination and test run of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although the turbocharger manifold exhibited a crack around its circumference, the crack would not have appreciably degraded engine performance at the altitude at which the airplane was flying when the loss of power occurred. Given the lack of fuel in the left wing tank and the fact that the engine operated without anomalies during postaccident testing, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation due to the pilot's mismanagement of the available fuel.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during enroute (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,174 hours in all; 137 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 3,186 as pilot in command; 215 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 30 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,305 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 2018; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLMO Longmont CO at 6:45 pm
- Destination: KCOS Colorado Springs CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17R, 11,022 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from KCOS, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 2, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Report Photos | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.